Health

Zika On The Rise: 28 New Cases Affect Territory; D.O.H. Upping Prevention Efforts

ST. THOMAS -- The Department of Health has made known through its latest report that 28 new cases of the Zika virus have affected the territory as the number of cases rose from 115 to 143 territory-wide. The by-island breakdown sees St. Thomas leading with 116, followed by St. Croix with 25, and St. John with 2. D.O.H. says 16 woman are believed to have been infected with the virus. However, 9 are confirmed as positive so far, while 7 remain presumptive cases. Overall, the department has performed 603 Zika virus tests, according to a press release the department issued late Thursday. Even as cases continue to increase, D.O.H. has been ramping up its efforts to battle the virus, which has been linked to unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns — called microcephaly — in children born to infected mothers, as well as blindness, deafness, seizures and other congenital defects. In adults, the virus is linked to a form of temporary paralysis, called Guillain-Barré syndrome. D.O.H. ...